My Brother's Girl
by scoob2222
Summary: In this au, Lindsay comes to New York to go to school and become a CSI. While studying at NYU she meets Louie Messer and her life changes forever.
1. Chapter 1

Prompt: Months

It had been months since he'd heard from his brother so when Louie finally called Danny didn't really want to talk to him.

He also didn't want to talk to him because his brother was, and had been for years, associated with the Tanglewood Boys and Danny was a year and a half into a job as a Crime Scene Investigator. He was working his way up, hoping for a promotion in the future. He didn't want anything to get in his way, especially not his criminal brother.

So, when Louie demanded he come home Sunday to meet his new girlfriend, Danny had just hung up on him.

However, the next time the invitation came from his mother…and he certainly could not hang up on her.

He wasn't sure exactly how much his mother knew about her oldest son's career choices, but he figured she ignored or suppressed quite a bit. So when they were all together Danny pretended everything was fine with his brother…for his mother's sake.

So, on Sunday Danny put a nice shirt and pants on and headed for his childhood home.

Hopefully the day would end without any fights and with his mother sending him home with lasagna.

&&&&&&

When Danny pictured the new girlfriend, she looked a lot like all the old ones. She was tall, blonde, big hair, big fake nails, and bigger fake boobs. She'd be covered in jewels she'd been given by admirers, jewels that were as hot as she was trying to be. He'd hate her instantly and hope she didn't hit on him over dinner.

When he was introduced to Lindsay Monroe, he almost fell over. She was tiny, a little petite thing without a stitch of make up on her gorgeous face. There were curls surrounding that face, she had jeans on and a sweater that clung nicely to her curves.

She was a woman, and what the hell was she doing with his brother?

It didn't take him long to find out. Apparently, Louie had told Miss Lindsay Monroe from Montana that he was a real estate agent.

Adorable little Lindsay, who'd only been in New York for four months was completely and totally naïve to his brother's lies. She was crazy about him, clearly looking at him with love filled eyes that saw only what they wanted to see.

She wasn't like the girls he usually dated, and that's why Danny decided he'd have to go back on his no fighting with Louie policy for the day.

&&&&&&

"What the hell are you doing?" Danny hissed after he'd pulled Louie into their old bedroom.

"What are you talking about? Do you like Lindsay? Isn't she great?"

"She's fucking wonderful, Louie, so why is she dating you?"

"Hey, fuck you man."'

"No, not fuck me, fuck you and her if you don't cut this out. She's a sweet girl, Louie; she's not cut out to play in your league."

"Yes she is."

"She thinks you're a real estate agent. If she's ready to date a Tanglewood Boy, why doesn't she know about it?"

Louie shrugged and looked away, "She's uh, well she's a student now, and her career path is kind of…well it wouldn't exactly approve of my boys."

"What is she studying, Louie?"

"She, uh, she wants to be a crime scene investigator."

"Oh my…." Danny looked up and silently asked for strength, "End it, Louie, end it right now."

"No, if I just give it some time, then she'll be ready to hear about me and she'll love me enough to stay."

"She's halfway in love with you now Louie and its going to hurt her when she finds out that you're a fraud."

"I love her Dan, I really do," Louie said, looking his brother in the eye, something that didn't often happen.

Danny sighed and clapped him on the arm, "I know you do, Lou, I believe you, but that doesn't change anything. Unless you're planning on flying straight and selling houses you need to come clean now."

Louie nodded, "Okay, you're right, you're right. I'll tell her."

Danny nodded, "Good."

&&&&&&

"Wait, uh, Danny," Lindsay said, hurrying after him as he left the house.

"Oh, hi, something wrong?"

"No," she said, shaking her head, "but I…well I'm sure Louie told you that I want to be a CSI."

"Yeah, he mentioned that. That's great."

"Thanks. I still have almost two years of school left, but I was just wondering if maybe one day we could have lunch. I could pick your brain about working in a real lab." Lindsay smiled as she waited for him to answer. Then as the silence continued, "My treat."

Danny smiled, "Sure, Montana, why not?"

"Montana?" Lindsay asked, with her eyebrow raised.

He couldn't help but smirk at her, "If you want in to a lab like mine, you got to get used to being teased. Night Montana."

Lindsay smiled, "Night, Danny."

Danny sighed as he walked away. He was 99% sure that he would never see Lindsay Monroe again.


	2. Chapter 2

Prompt: Last

Danny knew something was really wrong when Louie showed up at the lab. He hadn't seen his brother in three months and he did not look good. He was shaking, pacing back and forth, and generally looking like he was going to jump right out of his skin.

"What's going on Lou?" he asked when they were safely away from the building.

"I…uh…I'm in trouble Dan."

"What kind of trouble? Is there a warrant out for you?"

"No," he said, "but I did something illegal. I stole…"

"Damn it, Lou, if you tell me I'm going to need to turn you in."

Louie nodded, sighed, "Okay, listen I just pissed off some people and I want…Lindsay's pregnant."

Danny blinked twice at the sudden turn of the conversation, "She's what? How did that happen? I thought she was focused on school and…." He stops when he sees the look on Louie's face, "What did you do?"

"I love her," Louie said, "and she almost found out about me and I freaked out and….I knew if she was pregnant I could get her to marry me. So I…I might have messed with our protection without telling her."

Danny stepped back, because what his brother has done is so vile he's afraid he might beat the crap out of him, "You're a fucking bastard, Louie, just a fucking…you can't just do shit like that. She's a nice girl, a good girl, a smart girl with plans you've just fucked to hell."

"I know, but Danny, you don't understand…the trouble I'm in…"

"I don't want to hear it," he said, "I'm tired of you and your troubles, Lou. You're a grown man acting like a little kid, no worse because you should know better. You figure a way out of your own problems. I'm done."

"Danny, come on Dan, wait," Louie called, but Danny just keep walking.

He had no idea as he walked away that it will be the last time he sees his brother alive.


	3. Chapter 3

Prompt: Death

It was Mac who called to tell him. It was the middle of the night, practically morning when the phone rang and Danny knew, as everyone knows when they get a call at that time, that something was wrong.

His brother had been beaten nearly to death before a bullet to the head finished him off. His wallet had been taken, clearly meant to look like a robbery.

He was murdered, probably by the same people he considered friends. Danny knew that it was unlikely any of them would ever face prosecution for it.

When he'd first seen his brother, his body mangled almost beyond recognition, he wanted to go out and find those boys, to take justice his own way.

Then, he'd gone to tell his mother and he watched her cry and sob that he was all she had left.

And he knew that he wouldn't do anything that would leave her alone. He was the man of the house now, even if he didn't live in it anymore. He had to care for his mother now, had to care for all his brother had left behind.

That included Lindsay.

Lindsay and the baby.

Louie's death had also been the death of his lies to Lindsay. The papers were very clear about who Louie was and why he had died. She hadn't returned calls from him or his mother since his death and when they buried him two weeks later she'd stood in the back of the church and run out the moment he saw her.

He ran after her, just barely catching her and begging her to meet him for coffee and hear him out. She'd finally agreed and now he was waiting not so patiently at the Café closest to the office, hoping she would actually show up.

&&&&&&

She didn't show up until three on the dot, but she did show up and that gave him some hope.

"Hey," he said, standing up and pulling out her chair for her, "How ya doing?"

"I'm okay," she said, then shook her head, "well not really."

He nodded, "I'm sorry…I'm really sorry for what you've been through with my brother. He was…he should have told you the truth. I pushed him to, but…the only thing I can say is that he really loved you. He just wanted to be with you."

She nodded, "Well that's all well and good, Danny, but now I'm alone and confused and pregnant. I can't believe I let this happen. We were so careful, or I thought we were. I've never….I'm still in school. I have a part time job and I can barely cover my own health insurance and bills, let alone a baby. I'm just a mess." She stopped, rubbing her eyes, trying not to cry.

Danny just stared at her, his mind swirling with thoughts. Louie had done this. He'd gone way over the line and it was his fault Lindsay was pregnant. She wasn't ready for it. She couldn't handle it and Danny had to do something, had to find someway to fix the mess his brother has made.

He took a deep breath, and before he could re-think it said, "Marry me."


	4. Chapter 4

Prompt: Too Much

Lindsay stared at him, breathing fast, her eyes so huge in her face it was almost comical, "What did you just say?"

"I said…I think you should marry me."

Lindsay's mouth opened and closed like a fish, "Have you lost your mind? What kind of girl do you think I am? I know how it looks me getting knocked up, but I'm not just going to move from one brother to…"

"Wait, wait, wait," he said, holding up his hand, "That's not what I meant. I meant that we could get married, give the baby a name. I have a good job. I'm not rich, but I've been smart and I have savings and benefits for both of you."

"I don't understand," she said, "Why would you do that?"

Danny took a deep breath, "I should have told you about my brother. I shouldn't have let you keep living a lie." He closed his eyes, thought about telling her the rest, not sure, if he could do that to his brother, even in death.

"My brother he wasn't…he made a lot of mistakes in his life. I always hoped he would straighten out and be my big brother again, like when we were little, but he never did. Even if he'd lived, I don't know…I don't know if he could ever have changed, even for you and the baby. But I'm not my brother. I want his baby to have a name, my name. He'll be my child, my son, or daughter. He'll have everything he ever needs; he'll never want for love or anything else."

"You can't think of this as a permanent solution."

Danny shrugged, "you'll graduate in what? A year, maybe two. We stay married until then and…we can decide then what to do next. We'll still be giving this child a family, a safe and secure home."

Lindsay looked away, "So this is a marriage in name only."

Danny felt his ears and neck turn red, "Of course. I would never ask you to…we'll have separate rooms, one for me, one for you, and the baby."

She nodded, "I can't believe you would do this for my baby. It's so amazing of you."

"Good, then its settled."

"No, wait," she said, "I have a condition."

"Okay," he said, unsure if he would like her condition.

"This is a marriage of convenience and so I want you to be free to…that is if you find someone you like or are attracted or whatever I want you to be able to be with them. I don't expect you to be celibate. And I want you to promise that if you ever find someone to…love….that you'll tell me that you won't let me or that baby hold you back from finding happiness."

"Montana, I don't…"

"It's a non-negotiable condition."

He nodded, although he'd already decided to never cheat on her or leave her first, "Okay, whatever you want."

"Okay," she said, smiling, "So, I guess its Montana again?"

His ears reddened again, "Do you mind?"

She shook her head, "No, Montana is just fine. After all fiancées should have pet names for each other. I think I'll call you punkin."

He glared at her, "Not cute."

"Yes, it is."

Both of them lapsed into comfortable silence, smiling at each other, "So," he said, "we should probably talk this all out, and make sure we know what we're going to tell people."

She nodded, "Right."

"And you need a ring, and we need to get you to a doctor and…"

"Danny," she said, reaching over and taking his hand, "Could we maybe just…sit her for a little bit?"

He nodded, taking a deep, and much needed breath of air, "Yeah, yeah we can do that."


	5. Chapter 5

Prompt: Friends

Danny talked to his mother on his own. He wanted to sit her down and explain things, to let her know why he was marrying Lindsay and taking her and Louie's child as their own.

Of course, as he expected, his extremely traditional and Catholic mother couldn't have been happier. It was perhaps the one ray of light she had left after her son's death. Her grandchild would be born properly, his parents would marry in the Church, and they'd be a family, which would be safe from the streets that had taken her first born from her.

It was a little harder to explain to his friends. He and Lindsay had decided that other than his mother everyone should just assume that they'd been dating and were having a baby together. That meant Danny had to get a little creative.

"So, you've been seeing her for six months," Don said, "and you just didn't tell me."

Danny shrugged; this was the fourth time Don had asked about how he and Lindsay had gotten together. He could only be grateful that he hadn't dated much the past few months, or he'd have even more explaining to do.

"I told you I didn't want to rush anything, but we fell in love and now we're having a baby."

"And you're happy?"

Danny smiled, "Yeah, I'm happy."

And he was happy. He liked Lindsay a lot and he'd always wanted to be a father. Now, he'd have a chance to do that. Now, he'd have a family.

"Well then," Don said, "I'm happy for you. When's the wedding?"

"Two weeks."

"What? How are you even going to do that?"

"We're not really having a reception or anything. We're just going to have a small ceremony at the Church. I want us married as soon as possible, for the baby."

Don nodded, "Okay, whatever makes you happy."

"Glad you said that because I'm going to need a best man."

Don smiled like a moron, "Me? Really?"

Danny frowned, "Don't be a girl about it. Just get me drunk a few days before and send me off from bachelorhood. And then also we want you to be the godfather."

Don smiled like even more of an idiot, "I'm going to be a god daddy. That is….we need another round," Don told the bartender, "I'm going to be a god daddy."

Danny rolled his eyes, but couldn't completely hide his smile, "Such a girl."

&&&&&&

He talked to Stella next. Lindsay didn't have a lot of friends in the city. She'd been here less than a year and most of her time was spent at school or working.

"Stella, I really need your help here. I know you've only met Lindsay once, but she could really use some help looking for a wedding dress and I know no one shops better than you."

"Danny, of course I'll help. I'm so happy for you. I never thought I'd see the day that a woman would get you to settle down."

Danny smiled, "Well, Lindsay's not like any other woman."

Stella smiled and kissed his cheek, "Whatever either of you need I'm here for you."

&&&&&&

"Congratulations, Danny," Mac said, "I wish you both the best."

"Thanks."

"I'm sure you want time off for a honeymoon. The wedding is very soon, but I'm sure I can…"

"Actually, we're going to hold off on the honeymoon for a bit. Since the baby's coming, well, we want to concentrate on that. Actually maybe I could have some time off right after she's born."

"She?"

Danny shrugged, "I can't call the baby it."

Mac smiled, "Well you have two days off after your wedding. Honeymoon or not you and Lindsay should have some time together. We'll work some time for you when the baby is born too."

Danny smiled, "thanks, Mac, I appreciate it."

Danny took a deep breath as he left Mac's office. That was it. Everyone knew on his end. There was only one thing left to do.

Tell Lindsay's parents.


End file.
